Two highly traveled, deteriorating Massillon roadways are targeted for major upgrades next summer.

The city was awarded a combined grant and no interest loan to help pay for a more than $2.5 million project to reconstruct Hankins Road NE from Wales Avenue NE to Valerie Avenue NE, according to the Stark County Regional Planning Commission.

The loan and grant money comes from the Ohio Public Works Commission’s capital improvement program. The city will also pay part of the overall cost.

Work includes the resurfacing and widening of Hankins Road and installing a new storm water system, curb and water gutters.

A second project is to replace pavement and install a storm sewer system on a portion of 9th Street SW between Oberlin Road SW and Albrect Street SW.

Total cost for the road upgrades is about $1.67 million, which will be shared by the city, in addition to a no interest loan and grant money via the state’s capital improvement program.

Jeff Dotson, principal planner for the county’s planning commission, said Massillon’s monetary match, or contribution to both projects, was high enough to put the city in the upper tier of the request list for project assistance.

“These were worthy projects in which (Massillon) had its plans finished and ready to go,” Dotson said. “The city asked for some grant money as part of a loan, giving it a high match score.”

High truck traffic and age of the roads also put the city on top of the state’s priority list, Dotson said.

Both road improvement projects are scheduled to start in July 2014, Dotson said.